


Americana

by klarriel



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fix-It, Happy Ending, I HATE CWSPN, M/M, Post-Episode: s15e18 Despair, Post-Episode: s15e20 Carry On, i'm gonna miss my angel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:14:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27434899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klarriel/pseuds/klarriel
Summary: This is how their story ends.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester
Comments: 30
Kudos: 299





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly this is the result of me not being able to stop thinking about the events of 15x18, and how the eventual ending will play out, so sorry if it's a bit of a hot mess. 
> 
> (I also imagine this playing out on the show with 'Americana' from the soundtrack playing in the background, hence the title, so ... there's that)

Dean’s wakes, and all he can see is bright light. 

As his eyes grow accustomed to the glow, he props himself up and looks round at the unfamiliar setting. 

There’s - nothing. 

He’s almost completely surrounded by white, as far as his eyes can see, save for his brother lying a few feet away from him, eyes starting to twitch open. 

“Sammy,” Dean yells, hurriedly moving over to rouse him. 

Sam shakes himself awake, looking around before locking eyes with Dean.

“Where the hell are we?” Sam asks, brow furrowed, sitting himself up and glancing round again.

“I’ll be damned if I know. Last thing I remember was-”

“Me and Chuck”

The brothers turn. When they see who it is, they clamber to their feet.

“Jack” Sam exhales, “What happened? Where are we?”

Jack smiles sadly and furrows his brow

“I- When I harnessed the energy to destroy Chuck…. I didn’t realise how powerful it would be. When our forces collided it created this sort of…. explosion . When it was done, I was still alive but...Chuck was gone, and … so were the two of you.”

Dean swallows

“So…. we’re dead?” Sam asks

Jack nods

“I’m so sorry” he says softly, looking down at the floor. 

Dean shakes his head, walking towards Jack and placing a hand on his shoulder. Jack looks up at him.

“You saved the world, Jack.” he says, smiling softly, “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.” 

Sam walks to his brother’s side and smiles in agreement. 

“So now Chuck’s gone…” he begins, “Are you…. God, Jack?” 

Jack smiles.

“I think I am… no, I know I am. I feel it. I feel like… I’m what I was supposed to be.”

Sam smiles.

“So you brought us here?” Dean asks, his hand falling back to his side, “Wherever… here is.” 

Jack nods.

“When Chuck died, all of his powers were transferred to me. I also saw into him, knew all that he knew.” Jack gestures to the vast space around him, “This is the In Between, the realm between Heaven and Earth. It was created for souls who hadn’t found their place yet, who were still to be judged - Chuck made this centuries ago, when he felt less vindictive towards humans, but since then there hasn’t been much use for it.” 

The brothers nod in understanding, until Sam stops, brow furrowing. 

“So… why bring us here?” 

Jack looks at them both, eyes gentle.

“Sam, Dean… You have helped me in more ways than I could ever begin to explain. I hurt you, I hurt people, time and time again, and yet - you never gave up on me. You guys, and - and Castiel, you… you’re my family. And so I couldn’t let you just go without having a choice.”

Dean startles.

“A choice?” 

“When I killed Chuck, all of the living souls he took were restored back to Earth.”

“Wait, so they’re all alive? Bobby, Charlie-”

“Eileen?” Sam asks, hopefully, tears welling in his eyes.

Jack turns to him and smiles, nodding.

“All of them.” 

The brothers turn to look at each other excitedly, relief washed over their faces, before turning to Jack.

“So what now? Can you bring us back?” Sam asks, and Jack nods, taking a moment to reply.

“If you want to go back, of course I can bring you back, but…” he pauses, thoughtfully, “I know you both, I know your souls. I know how life on Earth has beat you down, exhausted you. I wanted to give you the choice between more life down there, or staying up here.

“Well, not to be rude Jack but of course we’ll go back,” Sam scoffs, turning to Dean, “Am I being crazy or…”

He trails off when he sees his brother, eyes fixed on the ground, stone faced.

“Dean?” Sam asks, tilting his head to meet his brothers gaze, “Dean… you’re not thinking about this, right?”

Dean looks up at his brother, the sheen of tears welling in his eyes.

“I… I don’t know Sammy.”

“No Dean, I won’t let you give up, not like this.” Sam says, angrily, “After everything we’ve fought for, we finally get the chance at a normal life and you choose this?”

“Ain’t a choice what we’ve been fighting for this whole time?” Dean shouts back, his brother closing his mouth in surprise, “This is my choice, Sam. This time, no deals with the devil, no bloody end, no sacrificing myself for anyone. This is my choice, my free will. You… you’ve got a chance at normal, you’ve got a life to go back to. But after everything we’ve been through, after Ca-”

He stops himself, squeezing his eyes shut, before opening them slowly and continuing 

“There’s nothing left for me down there anymore, Sam. I’m tired, and … if now ain’t my time, when is?”

As Dean speaks, Sam’s eyes fill more and more with tears. He pauses for a moment after Dean finishes. 

“Dean, I… I can’t do this without you.”

Dean smiles sadly, his eyes peaceful.

“You’ll do just fine. You’ve got so much goin’ for you Sam. And when it’s all over, I’ll be waiting here to knock your head in”

Sam smiles tearily and wraps his brother in a hug. They let go and turn to Jack, Sam nodding in approval.

“I...I think I want to go back.”

Jack nods.

“Before you go,” he smiles, “There’s one more thing I need to do”

The brothers furrow their brows in puzzlement, until they hear movement behind them.

They swiftly turn to see -

“Cas.” Sam breathes out, rushing to the angel and enveloping him in a hug.

Dean must be dreaming

The angel seems just as confused as them. He takes a moment to register Sam’s embrace, before wrapping his arms around the man.

“Sam, where am-”

He pauses as he locks eyes with Dean. 

They stare at each other, silently. 

“... Dean?”

Sam releases the hug and stands back, walking with Cas towards Dean and Jack.

Cas stands, eyes travelling over the older Winchester’s face. Dean stands, the shock of the moment starting to wear off. 

Cas turns to Jack

“Jack, is this-”

“The In Between… yes” 

Cas looks around, taking it in

“I’ve only ever heard of this place, I was never sure if it actually-.”

Jack wastes no more time, before reaching to envelop the angel in a hug. After all, he may be the new Father, but Castiel would always be his father. 

Cas hugs him back.

“Cas, I had to get you out of there” Jack says softly, breaking away, “I… I couldn’t leave you in the Empty.”

“Jack, you don’t have to do this, I… I made peace with my end. I was happy.”

At this, he glances at Dean, who’s eyes have been trained on him from the moment he arrived. Cas turns to look back at Jack, who is smiling at him.

“Cas… I wouldn’t- None of us would be here if it weren’t for you. The love and humanity you have shown me - it speaks of nothing more but the purest of souls.”

Cas shakes his head in disbelief, as Jack continues.

“Not even God can resurrect someone from the Empty. But… when Chuck died, any deal he had with the Empty was gone. Before you two woke, I went and spoke with them. They were glad to be rid of their ties to Chuck, and I promised to never bother them again if… If I could bring you out of there.”

“I…”

“The Empty still has a sort of power over you, so as much as I tried I can’t bring you back to life, but … If anyone deserves Heaven, it’s you Cas.”

Cas closes his eyes

They stand motionless for a few moments. Dean hangs his head, eyes darting as he thinks.

“Thank… Thank you Jack.” he breathes, opening his eyes, tears welling as he smiles, “I… don’t know how to thank you enough.”

“As long as you’re happy,” Jack replies, smiling up at him, “That will always be enough for me”

At the mention of happiness, Dean lifts his head to look at Cas, whose eyes move to catch his.

“Cas,” Dean starts, Sam and Jack turning to him at the sound of his voice. 

Cas swallows.

“Stay with me.” Dean says softly, and Cas takes a sharp breath in, “ Stay with me in Heaven.”

The atmosphere is full.

“Dean, I-”

“No, it’s your turn to listen now.” Dean continues, because if he doesn’t say it now he never will, “You said that ever since we met, I changed you - made you a better person. And however true that might be, no matter how much I changed you, you changed me too Cas. Before you, I- I had lost everything - hope, faith, whatever you want to call it. And when you pulled me out of hell, ever since that day, you’re the only person apart from Sam to see me always as good, just for who I am. You believed in me, and you were there for me, and you- you loved me, just as I am.”

Dean swallows

“Well dammit Cas, I love you too. Thinking back on it I probably always have.”

He pauses

“You know I never ask for much, but you taught me what I wanted was worth something, so… so choose whatever makes you happy, but… While I’m here to ask it… stay with me.”

Cas stands staring at him for a few moments, his eyes staring into the soul of the man he ripped out of Hell twelve years ago. 

Dean stares back at the angel that always believed in him. 

Cas steps forward, taking Dean’s face in his hands and placing a soft kiss to the man’s lips. For a moment, time stands still. When they break apart, Cas looks happier and more at peace than Dean has ever seen him.

“You think, after all this time, there could be anywhere you go that I wouldn't follow?”

Dean smiles and pulls him into an embrace. And, after all this time, it’s all they need.

Sam smiles, leaving them a few moments, before turning to Jack as Dean and Cas pull away. 

“So…. is this… is this it?”

Jack turns to all of them

“Are you sure this is what you all want?” 

Sam looks at his brother, who smiles reassuringly and nods at him.

“You’ve got this Sammy.”

Sam laughs, breath hitching as a tear rolls down his cheek. He turns to Cas.

“Look after my big brother, alright?” He jokes, pulling Cas in for one final hug.

“Always” Cas replies back tearily, “Look after yourself, Sam.” 

Sam nods and pulls away, looking towards his brother.

“I’ll see you soon bitch” Dean jokes, moving to hug the younger man tightly

Sam lets out a laugh.

“You too, jerk”

They break apart, Dean smiling and punching his brother softly on the shoulder.

“Love you.” he says simply

“Love you too Dean.” Sam replies, smiling. 

“This place needs to be destroyed as soon as possible - while I’m God there will be no superficial judgement. Everyone who’s soul is good will be brought to Heaven, and there won’t be a need for a place for someone to decide whether they belong there or not.” Jack places a hand softly on Sam’s forearm, smiling softly, “It’s time, guys”

Sam nods sharply, looking to his brother who seems serene and happy. Sam turns to Cas, who seems to wear the same expression. Jack places his other hand on Dean’s arm.

“I am everything I am because of all of you.” he says, turning from Dean, to Cas, to Sam, “I’ll never be able to thank you enough. One day, we’ll all meet again… but for now...this is goodbye.” 

Dean nods, and turns to his brother.

“I’ll be seeing you, Sammy.” 

Sam nods, as the bright light starts to envelop them all

“I’ll be seeing you, Dean” 

Before the light consumes them, Dean reaches out his hand to Castiel’s. He grips his hand tight.


	2. this is the ending

i dont care i didn't see 15x20 this is what happened


End file.
